Report: NCAA may be investigating Aggies football team for violations

Tuesday

A former Texas A&M player is accusing the football program of violating NCAA rules pertaining to improper benefits, as well as conducting off-the-books practice sessions.

Santino Marchiol, a former four-star prospect from Denver who never played for A&M, listed the allegations when he filed for a transfer waiver earlier this summer. Marchiol’s attorney allowed USA Today to see the paperwork. USA Today reported the allegations on Tuesday.

The A&M athletic department issued a statement, saying: "Texas A&M Athletics takes these allegations seriously, and we are reviewing the situation with the NCAA and the SEC Office."

Marchiol was a freshman last season, but redshirted. His allegations concern Jimbo Fisher’s new staff at A&M. Fisher replaced Kevin Sumlin, who was fired last November.

Sumlin, who recruited Marchiol, was hired by the University of Arizona in January. Marchiol transferred there this summer. He asked for a waiver so that he wouldn’t lose a year of eligibility.

The NCAA tweaked its rules for transfers in May, saying players wouldn’t have to forfeit a year if they could document "mitigating circumstances that are outside student-athlete’s control and directly impact the health, safety and well-being of the student-athlete."

The rule change was prompted by a situation at Mississippi in which six players asked for transfers. They said they were misled by the school about the seriousness of the NCAA charges that had been leveled against the program. Marichol’s attorney, Thomas Mars, represented former Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt and several Rebels players who asked to transfer.

Marichol filed his statement with Arizona’s compliance department.

Marichol, who played for the prestigious IMG Academy in Florida, said A&M assistant coach Bradley Dale Peveto gave him $700 total for two separate weekends to entertain recruits on unofficial visits. He said the money was in cash and that Peveto told him to text him if he needed more.

Marichol also told USA Today that new defensive coordinator Mike Elko gathered players after their Memorial Day break and told them: "We’re going to have a lot of meetings and practices that aren’t technically required, but you guys have to be here because you’re way behind. We need to win."

The NCAA allows up to eight hours for strength and conditioning drills during the summer. Coaches are allowed to attend those. Anything more has to be organized by the players with no coaches present. Marichol described weeks with far more than eight hours devoted to football, with coaches attending and overseeing workouts.

Marichol said the team trainer also told him to practice through an ankle injury. Marichol said after he was told the injury was a Grade II sprain, he ran 24 100-yard wind sprints until he couldn’t feel his foot. He practiced the rest of the week and said his lower leg continued to swell.

At that point, he said he decided to transfer.

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